He watched as she stood up, emerging from the water like a sex goddess as she tossed her wet hair back from her face. But it wasn’t her hair that was holding his attention. Have mercy! She had a body that made men drool, curves in all the right places—and he was familiar with those curves, every delectable inch. And that bikini, wet and clinging to her, looked good on her. Too good. He could only imagine the reaction she would have gotten from other men. But just the thought that he had once touched her all over, licked her all over, made love to that body in more ways than he could count, sent blood surging through his veins. “Damn.”
“Hey, man. Talk to me. What’s going on?”
Storm’s words reminded Ian he was still holding the phone in his hand, and it was taking every ounce of strength he had to continue to do so. He suddenly felt weak, physically drained.
“Brooke,” he finally said, whispering her name softly, drawing out the sound deep from within his throat on a husky sigh. “She’s here.”
“What do you mean she’s there?”
Ian rolled his eyes upward. “Just what I said, Storm. She checked into the Rolling Cascade for two weeks for some R and R. But at this moment she happens to be in my penthouse, using my pool. We’re trying to put the past behind us.”
“Brilliant. That’s just brilliant, Ian,” Storm chuckled. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. You and Brooke are trying to put the past behind you and become friends. Come on, Ian. Think about it. Do you actually believe you can be just friends with the only woman who’s ever had your heart?”
Ian frowned. “Yes, since the key word is had. I stopped loving Brooke years ago.”
“So you say.”
“So I mean. Good night, Storm.”
CHAPTER 3
Ian stood and walked across the room to the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling window that gave a breathtaking view of Lake Tahoe.
When he had reopened the casino after extensive remodeling, he’d given it more than just a new name and a new face. He had given the place a new attitude. He had painstakingly combined the charm of the Nevada landscape with the grandeur of a world-class casino, then added an upscale nightlife whose unique ambiance appealed to a sophisticated clientele.
His penthouse had the best view of the lake. Strategically set on the west side of the casino and covering portions of both the eighth and ninth floors, his domain was away from the villas, the various shops and restaurants, the golf courses with cascading waterfalls and the tennis courts. He considered his personal quarters his very own private hot spot, although between the hours he’d spent making sure things were perfect for the grand opening nine months ago, his time had been too consumed in business matters to pursue any intimate pleasures, and he had not yet invited a woman up to his lair, other than members of his family and now Brooke.
Brooke.
He cocked his head, and a smile touched his lips when he heard the sound of her splashing around in the pool. For some reason, he liked knowing she was there, and regardless of what Storm thought, he and Brooke held no emotional ties. The most they could ever be again was friends.
* * *
Brooke swam back and forth through the calming water as she did another lap around Ian’s pool. After several more laps she pulled herself up on the ledge thinking that she’d had a wonderful workout. She felt rejuvenated in one sense and exhausted in another. Beside the pool was a long padded bench that looked absolutely inviting, and she decided to rest a while.
She lay flat on her back and stared up at the ceiling. All she could think about was Ian’s dark eyes and the way they had looked at her moments before he’d left her alone. Swim or no swim, she’d been fantasizing about him ever since. She was trying to keep her distance, especially knowing how quickly she could be consumed by desire for him. Though she hadn’t been completely honest with him about the real reason she was there, she couldn’t control her attraction to him. Basic urges were exactly what they were. Basic. And she knew firsthand how skilled Ian was in taking care of anything that ailed her.
She flipped onto her stomach and studied a nearby plant. Anything to get Ian off her mind. But it wasn’t working. As her eyes closed, her mind shifted back to a time when he had moved his mouth all over her breasts, sucking and lapping at her nipples while his fingers skimmed the edge of her panties….
* * *
Ian wasn’t sure how long he stood at the window looking out, idly sipping his wine observing various yachts, sailboats and schooners cruising the lake below, resembling fireflies as they went by. Tomorrow was another busy day. He had meetings with Nolen McIntosh, his casino manager, Vance on security matters and Danielle on PR. Then of course there was that discussion with his event planner regarding the final details for Delaney’s surprise birthday party.
It took Ian only a minute to notice something was different. There was no sound coming from the pool. He set his wineglass on a nearby table, moved away from the window and headed toward the room where he’d left Brooke almost an hour earlier.
The pool was empty, so he glanced around the room and then saw her. She lay flat on her stomach on the padded bench, asleep. The intensity of the emotions he felt at that moment hit him from every angle. When was the last time Brooke had slept at his place? It had been years. Their angry parting words—mostly from him—still burned fervently in his ears. She had tried to explain, tried presenting her side of things. But he hadn’t wanted to listen. He hadn’t wanted to ever see or talk to her again.
So what was happening here? Why was he talking to her, seeing her again? Why had he let her into his space, the only place free of memories of her?
She moaned in her sleep, and hearing the sound he stepped closer, allowing his gaze to rake over her shapely body, feeling a rush of adrenaline. A deep swallow made its way down his throat as his gaze moved to the tie that held the top part of her bikini in place, the smooth curve of her back, the flare of her hips under the thin scrap of material that was supposed to be a bikini bottom. Her skin looked soft, inviting and warm to the touch. He wanted his hands all over her thighs, and he would do anything to cup her delicious bottom. And he didn’t want to think about how he wanted to use his mouth on her breasts.
He sighed deeply. Considering their history, it was only natural that he would feel this heated lust, this mind-searing desire. There was a time when, if he’d found her like this, he could have awakened her by making love to her, gently flipping her on her back and using his hands and his mouth to show her what real moans were all about. His stomach began trembling at the memories, and hot liquid fire filled his body at the very thought. But he knew things were different. They no longer had that kind of relationship, and he doubted they ever would again. She was no longer his to touch at will.
That realization dictated his next move. Reaching to a table behind him he grabbed a huge towel and gently covered her. He would not wake her. He would let her rest. But neither would he leave her. He wanted to be there when she awoke. Call it pure torture, but he wanted to look into the depth of those eyes, catch her drowsy, sleepy, tousled look, the sexy one she got whenever she roused from sleep. That look used to stir up everything male within him and arouse him to no end. And that look would drive him to take her with a passion that could never be duplicated with any other woman.
Removing his jacket, he folded it neatly and placed it across the back of a wicker sofa before settling down in a wicker chair and stretching his legs out in front of him. From this position he could watch her while she slept and see her when she woke up.
And as he sat there, his mind went back to that day six years ago when they had met. He had walked into Dare’s office, and from that day on his life had never been the same.
* * *
Slowly released from the throes of a deep sleep, Brooke kept her eyes closed as she drowsily inhaled gently and then yawned. There was nothing like a swim to work the aches and pains out of her muscles, and that thought made her recall where she was and why the familiar scent
of one particular man was surrounding her.
She slowly opened her eyes and they immediately connected to the dark penetrating ones of Ian Westmoreland. Sitting in a chair across the room, he looked slightly disheveled, as if he’d been sitting there for a while, but nothing could erase that sexy look he wore so well. What had been a crisp white shirt now had a few buttons undone, and the sleeves were rolled up. With his legs stretched out in front of him, his trousers were pulled tight against muscular, well-defined thighs.
A sensual shiver ran down her body and she felt the huge towel covering her and knew he had placed it there. The thought of him being that close to her, placing a towel over her body, stoked her insides, creating a heavy warmth.
A part of her wanted to sit up, stretch her legs, apologize for falling asleep, but she couldn’t do any of those things. She couldn’t move, could barely breathe. His gaze was holding her in place and making her remember happier times, passionate times, and she wondered if he was doing the same.
She watched his eyes darken even more, and in re-sponse a rush of hormones that had been dormant for four years rushed through her system. Awareness churned in her stomach, and her entire body suddenly felt sensitive, acutely aware of him as a man. However, not just any man.
He was the man who had first introduced her to the pleasures that a couple could share; the man who used to wake her up each morning by using his hands and lips on every part of her body; a man who, besides being the best lover any woman could possibly have, had become her confidant and her best friend.
Brooke blinked, was caught momentarily off guard when he stood and began walking toward her, showing telltale proof of how much he wanted her. The bulge in his pants couldn’t lie. Her body instantly responded, recognizing the sexual chemistry that emanated from him and quickly overpowered her.
She raised her body to a sitting position, stretched out her legs and braced her hands on both sides of her. She couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking. She definitely knew her thoughts. The heated look in his eyes, the hot familiarity, gave her an idea. There was still a lot unsettled between them. There were some things that could never be as they used to be. But there would always be a level where they would be in accord. And this was it.
Deep down a part of her wished otherwise, wished she could expunge him from her heart as she knew he had done her. He might still want her, desire her, but he no longer loved her. But right now, at this moment, heaven help her, it didn’t matter. She needed to feel his body pressed close to hers, needed to once again feel his arms holding her, his mouth tasting hers.
He came to a stop in front of her and the light that poured down from overhead highlighted the darkness of his skin in contrast to his white shirt. She stared up at him, as blood throbbed through her veins, and she took in his broad chest and strong lean body.
She slowly stood, wondering if her legs could hold her weight, but that concern quickly vanished from her mind when she heard a sensual moan escape his clenched teeth, and she knew he was trying to resist her, fight what they were both feeling.
But when he began to lean closer, she knew he had given up the battle and was giving in to temptation. Common sense was being overwhelmed by lust. And when their mouths connected and their tongues mingled, flames sparked inside of her and she completely lost whatever control she’d had. This is Ian, her mind and body taunted. And she did what seemed so natural, which was to kiss him back in all the ways he had taught her to.
* * *
Ian made love to Brooke’s mouth with as much skill as he possessed. Mercy. He wanted this. He needed this. Four years hadn’t eliminated the yearning, the urgency or the hunger. She wasn’t out of his system, and maybe this would be the first step in ridding her from it. But the more their tongues consorted, fused and intertwined, the harder it was to regain control. And when he brought her body closer to his, let his hands slide over her backside with a possessiveness he had no right to feel, he wanted to do more than taste her. He wanted to place her back on the bench, further stoke the heat between them, remove his clothes, straddle her body, remove her bikini bottom and make her his again.
His again.
That thought made him lift his head sharply, knowing that was the last thing he wanted. Things could never go back to being the way they were. He refused to let them. There were some things you could never recover from, and one was a broken heart. He’d loved and he’d loved hard. And whether she had intended to or not, she had destroyed that love.
He looked down and his gaze swept over her features. His eyes touched each and every part of the face he would always cherish. But that was as far as things would ever go. He would want her, lust after her, but he would never love her again.
“Come on and let me walk you back to your villa,” he said in a husky voice tinged with regret.
As if he had kissed any and every word from her mouth, Brooke merely nodded, gathered the towel around her and followed him as he led her to his private elevator.
“I didn’t mean to overstay my welcome,” she finally was able to say when the elevator doors opened.
He looked down at her, his features tight. “You didn’t.”
For some reason she didn’t believe him. One thing she knew about Ian was that he was a man who didn’t forgive easily, nor was he quick to forget. He claimed he wanted them to move on and be friends, but she wondered if that’s what he really wanted, or if that was something he would ever be willing to tolerate. Brooke opened her mouth to say something and then closed it. Chances were he would be keeping his distance for the remainder of her stay.
When they reached her door he stepped aside to let her unlock it. She thought this was where he would tell her good-night, and he surprised her when he took her hand and followed her inside, closing the door behind him.
“Hidden video cameras in the halls,” he whispered in a throaty voice before gently pulling her into his arms. He then leaned down and kissed her again, the connection slow and lingering, but just as thorough as before. The kiss sent shudders all through her.
Moments later his mouth left hers to trail heated kisses along her neck and jaw. The feel of his beard rubbing against her skin was eliciting sensations deep in the pit of her stomach. A man like Ian was deadly in more ways than one.
“Will you go sailing with me tomorrow, Brooke?”
She raised her chin, still shuddering, surprised at his request. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” she asked.
He was silent for a moment and stared deep into her eyes. It was all Brooke could do not to melt right there on the spot from the heat generating in his gaze. “Yes, I’m sure.” He stepped back. “I’m beginning to realize something, Brooke.”
“What?” she asked, having a difficult time swallowing.
“Moving beyond what we once shared isn’t going to be as easy as I thought.”
She lifted her brow and fought back the thick lump of emotion that clogged her throat, almost kept her from breathing. “What do you mean?”
“Mere friendship between us won’t ever work.”
“You don’t think so?”
“No.” His voice was clipped, cool and confident. “And since things can never be like they were, we need finality. Closure. A permanent end.”
She knew that what he was saying was true, considering the kisses they had shared, but still, hearing him say it hurt deeply. “So, how do you suggest we go about it? Do you want me to leave?” she asked, knowing that wasn’t an option even if he wanted her to.
He stared at her for a long moment, then answered by saying, “No. I don’t want you to leave. What I want, what I need, is to have you out of my system, and I know of only one way that can be accomplished.”
* * *
Brooke sighed deeply. She knew of only one way that could be accomplished, as well, and she wasn’t going for it. It might get her out of his system, but it would only embed him deeper into hers.
She shook her head vehemently. “It won�
��t work.”
“Trust me, it will.”
She lifted her chin and glared at him, trying to ignore the way her inner muscles clenched in response to the huskiness of his voice. “It might work for you, but not for me.”
Ian leaned in closer to her, his voice low and deep, his lips just a hair away from touching hers. “I’d love to prove you wrong, Brooke. Even now you feel it, the heat, the urge, the cravings. You remember how things used to be between us as much as I do. You remember our out-of-control pheromones, wild nights when we couldn’t wait to make love, going so far as to start stripping naked as soon as the door closed behind us.”
“Ian.”
“And how I would take you right then and there, wherever—on the wall, the floor, the sofa, giving you everything you wanted, whatever you needed. And how you would practically—”
“Stop it, Ian,” she said sharply, stepping back away from him to halt the trembling that had begun in her stomach. “I won’t let what you’re suggesting happen.”
She read his expression, saw the challenge in his eyes, the deep-rooted stubbornness. “Okay,” he said with a smile that said he didn’t believe her any more than she believed herself. “I’ll be by to pick you up to go sailing at noon. See you later, Brooke.”
Brooke tilted her head, watched him cross the room, open the door and walk out without looking back. She pulled the towel tighter around her body when a chill touched it. After spending so much time in the pool tonight she should be smelling of chlorine. But she smelled of Ian. His manly scent seemed to be all over her.
She dropped the towel and quickly moved toward her bathroom, needing a shower. She would send him a message, letting him know she had changed her mind about going sailing with him.
He might like the idea of playing with fire, but she did not.
CHAPTER 4
“We have reason to believe one of our guests is smoking in his room,” Joanne Sutherlin, resort manager, said to the employees around the conference table during the resort’s regular status meeting.
Ian's Ultimate Gamble ; Seduction, Westmoreland Style Page 4